[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/EW-01-01-14-Native-Coast.mp3|titles=EW 01-01-14 Native Coast]
When coastal areas are subject to storm surges, for example, during hurricanes, areas with coastal vegetation tend to fare better. Salt marshes, mangroves, and sea weeds provide an important buffer. This natural vegetation breaks up the direct energy that the sea can exert on coasts and their beaches.
When developed property is at risk, the protection can be considerable and the savings in disaster relief enormous. But all too often, we strip out coastal vegetation for commercial or aesthetic purposes.
Natural ecosystems can often protect coastlines at a fraction of the cost of “hardened” structures that engineers have tended to prefer. And natural ecosystems can sustain local fisheries, such as shrimp, that depend on coastal vegetation for a portion of their life cycle. Coastal forests and mangroves are particularly effective barriers to destruction.
Katie Arkema at Stanford University assessed the protective function of coastal habitat on the coastline of the United States.
It’s important to take a proactive role in how we manage our coastlines. So often we react after major events like Hurricane Sandy or Hurricane Katrina, and what we are trying to do in our work is – ahead of time – figure out where do we need to protect these coastal ecosystems, and where are places that we can reasonably pursue coastal development.”
Coastal ecosystems provide another example of an ecosystem service to society. Sure, we can build structures to protect us. But, nature does it naturally and at much less cost.
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Web Extra
Full interview with Katie Arkema of Stanford University…
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Arkema_full_web.mp3|titles=Arkema_full_web].
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Photo, taken on October 20, 2007, courtesy of Brian Ragsdale via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Support for Earth Wise comes from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY.